As a professional development trainer who has provided PD to thousands of teachers throughout the country, it is not uncommon for me to hear, “I wish I’d had more of this (behavior modification techniques), before I entered the classroom.”

Most teachers are steeped in pedagogical theory and concepts. Most work tenaciously to master core principles that will enable them to draft a solid lesson plan that integrates differentiated instruction, brain-based learning, project-based learning, proximal-learning, and every other pedagogical strategy necessary to ensure their students master the discipline. The challenge in many instances comes in the form of human-to-human relationship building and the need for additional behavior modification strategies that enables the teacher to deal with and effectively overcome, challenging student behavior.

In this article I will share with you some easy to recognize insights and tools that you can use to help increase the opportunity to produce successful outcomes, when faced with challenging student behavior.

Identify, Address, Modify, and Redirect - in action: The best and most effective way to share the concept is to show it to you in action. In this video you will witness a white male teacher faced with a very challenging situation involving an angered and highly emotional African American male student. Observe, all the moving parts of the interaction, as well as, the actions of the other students in the classroom. I will breakdown the video, thereafter. Take a moment and review the video.

Each part of the theory and representative construct are fully on display. The teacher first identified the challenge (one of his African American Students was outraged but posed no immediate threat to him). The teacher then addressed the student and issue, (using a proximal engagement technique the teacher places himself between the two students).

The enraged student is blinded by his rage and is prepared to act out his anger. The teacher must modify the student’s behavior before he can move to the next phase - (using a mirroring technique and therapeutic tone, coupled with an existing relationship with the student, the teacher is able to stifle the student’s rage and bring him under control).

​Now, the teacher is perfectly positioned to redirect the student’s behavior (by fully understanding the outcome he wants to produce and being fully aware of his ability to control the situation and those around him, the teacher offers an alternative to the challenging student. Using a persuasive voice tone he presents the student with a way out that will benefit the student. He speaks in “We” terms and calls him son. He connects with him and totally captures the student’s mind and will. And, in an instant redirects the student to a place of safety, where he can further impress upon the student his next directive).

There is more in the video than meets the eye:Who walked out of the classroom first, the teacher or the student? Why is that important and relevant? Why did the teacher have to keep repeating, "I'm right here?" What trigger words did the teacher use to help bring the student back to a position of calm? Why didn't the student wearing the blue hoodie get up and move during the encounter? Those questions and more are answered during our, "Teacher Empowerment Workshop."

A Deeper Dive:Maybe you viewed the video and thought to yourself, "I could never do that." Or, maybe you thought, "I'd love to be able to do that." The good news is that you can learn the principles and strategies that will increase your opportunities of ending challenging encounters successfully. Learn how to identify, address, modify, and redirect challenging student behavior. You'll be glad you did.

The Workshop:Providing teachers with the tools and strategies that further adds to their repertoire of practices is the aim of our "Teacher Empowerment Workshop." The workshop can be delivered over various timeframes. During Early Release Days (1-2 hours) - Half Day Sessions (3-4 hours) Full Day sessions (6 hours) or during a retreat (2 Full Day Sessions). The sessions are highly interactive, comprised of role playing and group engagement. Hear from teachers and principals who have participated in our sessions by clicking this link

Our Findings:Since 2007, the Institute for Student Empowerment, has worked with District’s throughout the country to help teachers gain a deeper understanding of how to work with students who emanate from challenged environments. If you would like to learn more about our work please visit our site at: www.weshall217.com or set up a free consultation by contacting Wes Hall, at weshall217@gmail.com. An empowered teacher is a great pathway to an empowered student. Invest in the wellbeing of your teachers by affording them the strategies and tools necessary to overcome challenging student behavior. ​